Tri-Valley rushes past Marian in Blue Division
Tri-Valley's Cole Gemberling runs through the Marian defense during the Dawgs' win over the Colts on Friday night (Photo by Michelle Schwartz)
Story by Luke Stefanisko
HEGINS — Cole Gemberling rushed for 17 yards for Tri-Valley last week against York Catholic.
He added an extra digit to his total and then some against Marian, leading the Bulldogs to a 24-0 victory in a Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division game Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.
Gemberling, a junior, rushed for 187 yards and tallied three of the four Bulldogs scores.
But he didn’t take all the credit for that big performance.
“I made sure to go and thank every one of them,” Gemberling said of his offensive linemen.
Gemberling was hampered by cramps and shin splints in his game last week, leading to his tough night on nine carries.
“Our plan for him was to drink water,” Tri-Valley coach Jeff Sampson said after the game when asked about having Gemberling healthy Friday night.
Sampson described Gemberling’s performance as “carrying the team on his back.”
The game started slowly, filled with stout play from the defensive lines of both teams. Micheal Gelatko and Aidan Milkovits starred for the Colts early, stuffing the Bulldog running attack.
Not to be outdone, Lucas Schwartz, Max Masser and Hogan Troutman made the Colts skill players feel the physicality of the game early with the line of scrimmage being firmly set every play.
The Bulldogs started to get the offense in motion, and with their only passing completion of the game, a 35-yard shot from Blake Schwartz to Trey Porter, set themselves up to reach paydirt. The Cole Gemberling Show began with a 5-yard rush for his first touchdown of the night.
On the next defensive possession for the Bulldogs, Troutman sacked Colts QB Dylan Rodino to get the ball back for the offense.
That stop paved the way for Gemberling to score on a 23-yard rush shortly after.
Gemberling reached paydirt again in the third quarter after a phenomenal job by his offensive line. Ryan Colahan, Owen Mitchell, Randy Heckman, Elliot Stiely and Hogan Troutman paved the way for a 269-yard rushing performance by the Bulldogs.
An acrobatic pass deflection by sophomore Doyle Flory denied the Colts once again in the third quarter.
Freshman Parker Hatter carried the load for the rest of the game, tallying 67 yards on 13 carries in his second-ever varsity game.
With time running down, Donovan Keeth plunged into the end zone for the final score of the night.
“This was a really big game for us. This could have playoff implications,” Sampson said.
In Week 3, the Colts return home to take on Panther Valley, while the Bulldogs will re-ignite a Tri-Valley League rivalry when they take on Pine Grove.
